Ferndale adult education students face trial for robbery near school

FERNDALE -- Three former Ferndale adult education students were ordered to stand trial on charges of unarmed robbery against a current student.

The robbery happened about two hundred feet away from the Ferndale school district's Digital Learning Center, 427 Allen. The adult education school was formerly called the Taft Education Center.

The three suspects, all from Detroit, appeared in Ferndale 43rd District Court on Thursday for a preliminary examination on the evidence against them. Following the hearing the charges against them were reduced from armed robbery to unarmed robbery.

Judge Joseph Longo ordered the three suspects to stand trial in Oakland County Circuit Court.

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Charged are Marcellas Mitchell, 19, who is jailed on $100,000 bond; Darmontai Lee, 18, who is jailed on $10,000 bond; and Marquise White, 18, jailed on $50,000 bond.

A fourth suspect in the Dec. 12 robbery is a juvenile whose name has not been released. He is charged in county juvenile court.

The suspects are accused of implying they had a gun when they robbed the student.

Police said the suspects were in a Buick LeSabre parked on Gardendale and confronted the student as he walked toward the Digital Learning Center.

Two suspects got out of the car and confronted the student.

Another suspect, sitting in the front passenger seat of the car told the student they wanted to get his laptop and threatened to shoot him if he failed to comply, police said.

The suspect in the passenger seat implied he had a gun while the two other suspects grabbed the laptop from the student, police said.

Police later determined the suspects had no gun with them when they robbed the student.

Police Chief Timothy Collins said police were able to quickly arrest the suspects because of the work of liaison officers assigned to the Digital Learning Center and Ferndale High School.

The police officer assigned to the Learning Center was flagged down by the student who was robbed and put out a description of the suspects' vehicle. The police officer assigned to the high school stopped the suspects a short distance away and they were arrested.